Anette Olzon
Encyclopedia
Anette Ingegerd Olsson (born 21 June 1971), known by the stage name Anette Olzon, is a Swedish singer from Helsingborg
, best known as the second lead vocalist of Finnish symphonic power metal band Nightwish
. Olzon was formerly the vocalist in the Swedish AOR band Alyson Avenue
. After her admission in Nightwish, Olzon played with several bands, in studio and live, including Brother Firetribe, Pain and The Rasmus
.
In 2008, Anette recorded one track with Brother Firetribe on their second album, Heart Full of Fire, and the duet with The Rasmus
, titled October & April
, was played for the first time on October 9, 2009 on a Finnish radio and was released digitally on November 11, 2009. On August 13, Anette sang two Nightwish songs, "Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan
and "Meadows of Heaven", with the Stockholm Symphonic Orchestra, at the Suomi Safari, the event was in celebration of Sweden and Finland relations. During the break after Nightwish's 2009 Hartwall Arena concert, Anette has stated that she wishes to release a solo album. As of October 19, 2009, songwriting for this album has begun.
She has mentioned Carola Häggkvist
, Sarah Brightman
, Natalie Cole
and Celine Dion
as being her inspirations in singing. She has said she enjoys other metal bands, such as Sonata Arctica
, Amorphis
, Tarot
, Within Temptation
and Kamelot
. She has also noted that she is a fan of The Rasmus
, and was such even before she released October & April.
Anette lives with her boyfriend, and Pain bassist, Johan Husgafvel and son Seth, born July 2001. In July, 2010, she gave birth to her second son, Nemo.
for 8 years. She toured with her mother's band and sang with them on some occasions. Later, she started to take part in various talent shows and received laudable recognition. The first band she joined at seventeen years of age (Take Cover) was a cover band. However, it was short-lived as she took part in several bands and projects. At twenty-one, she played the leading role in the rock opera/musical "Gränsland" in Helsingborg
. After that she got in to the Balettakademien in Gothenburg
. She sang in choirs, did studio work for various projects and occasionally performed as a wedding singer. Anette Olzon also sang a duet with Michael Bormann
(ex-Jaded Heart singer) on his album "Conspiracy".
In her earlier days, Anette Olzon took singing lessons at the Copenhagen Music Conservatorie, in Helsingør, Denmark with a private teacher. Nowadays, she takes lessons from a private teacher at the Malmö Music University when needed.
, at first only as a studio singer
, but later as their leading lady, replacing the male vocalist. The band received huge feedback for a demo
they sent out in 1999, and Alyson Avenue was soon able to contact various labels. Main composer and keyboardist
Niclas Olsson gathered the band, recording a four track demo which resulted in a record deal with AOR Heaven.
In November 2000, debut album Presence of Mind was released to positive reviews. The next album Omega was released in 2003
. Anette left "Alyson Avenue" in 2006. In May 2009, Alyson Avenue introduced Arabella Vitanc as their new lead vocalist.
Olzon officially joined Nightwish
as their new lead singer in early 2007, chosen from about 2,000 applicants of which 10 made it to prove their place in front of the band. The song on her demo tape was the 2002 single "Ever Dream". She replaced the previous singer Tarja Turunen
, who was fired in an open letter
in the autumn of 2005
. Olzon's demo was one of the first that Nightwish received, although she was originally denied the position, as band leader Tuomas Holopainen
was concerned about the fact that she had a young son. However, Olzon was persistent and sent the band a live DVD of her performing with Alyson Avenue. She was then contacted by Nightwish's manager Ewo Pohjola, which eventually led to her taking up the position in February 2007. Tuomas commented on her selection saying "we (the band) took a formal vote, but it was unanimous that she would be the one. It was a matter of heart. We felt she was right." Her identity was kept secret by various methods, including pretending to be Ewo's "Swedish cousin" at a Tarot
concert, until she was eventually announced as the new Nightwish singer on 24 May 2007.
The day after this revealing, May 25, 2007, charity single "Eva
" was released as the first off the album, as download only. It was originally scheduled for release on May 30 but this was changed due to a leak on a British music download site. This was the first published song to feature Olzon. On June 13, Nightwish released the title, Dark Passion Play
, and artwork to the new album on their official website, as well as the name and the cover of the second single (this time CD), "Amaranth
". "Amaranth" achieved gold status in Finland after less than two days in stores.
Dark Passion Play was released around Europe in the last week of September 2007, in the UK on October 1, and the United States on October 2. It was awarded double platinum in Finland the second day after its release and took the number 1 position on the charts of Germany, Finland, Switzerland, Hungary and Croatia and got in top 100 in other 16 countries, including the United States. Dark Passion Play has sold 6x Platinum worldwide up to date (over 1.5 million copies).
On September 22, 2007, the band hosted a secret concert at Rock Café in Tallinn
, Estonia
, disguising itself as a Nightwish cover band
called "Nachtwasser". Their first official concert with the new singer was in Tel Aviv
, Israel
on October 6, 2007. The Dark Passion Play tour thus started, visiting the United States, Canada, most of Europe, Asia, and Australia.
The Dark Passion Play tour turned out to be Nightwish's longest tour yet, lasting from the fall of 2007 to September 2009, when ended with a concert in Hartwall Arena, Helsinki
with the band Apocalyptica
. For trivia, Nightwish's only other concert in Hartwall Arena was in 2005 when they ended their Once Upon a Tour
. This concert was filmed for the End of an Era
DVD, and it was Tarja Turunen
's last show with the band.
, who has previously worked with Madonna
, Celine Dion
, Janet Jackson
and Jessica Simpson
, among others. He is also one of judges on the Swedish TV talent competition "Idol" and a producer of the TV series "Made in Sweden". She states that the album will "not be a metal album, but will most likely be a Rock one."
Anette stated: "This will be so great and it's so nice to have such great songwriter
s and musician
s to help me with the songs. We work that way that we sit down by the piano and the guitar and just try melodies etc. and then I write down lyrics
and we try and test the structure of the song. Then Johan goes and puts drums, bass etc. in the computer
to get the music recorded for me to test-sing it. Then we work from there. It's so nice to create songs like this, I haven't done that since we started [Anette's pre-Nightwish band] Alyson Avenue, so it's been a while, but I'll soon get a hang of it again. And I really like the sound of it already!"
Many fans have expressed concern that Anette will be taking the same route as ex-Nightwish singer Tarja Turunen
, but she says "I still belong in Nightwish. This is just something to do before Tuomas has finished writing the next Nightwish Album. I have no desire to leave Nightwish."
Anette, on February 3, 2010, shared on her blog that she no longer would continue making a solo album. Saying, "The factors are mainly that I want to focus on my family during this break from Nightwish. I am sure I will do a solo some other time, but at this time it doesn't fit into my life and then it's better to not do it, than to do it and it just wont feel good.".
On March 3, 2010, Olzon made an announcement on her blog that the reason the solo album had been postponed was because she was pregnant with her second child. "Last autumn in the middle of demo recordings for my solo album, I started to feel very tired and nauseated. I took a pregnancy test and was really surprised to see that I had gotten pregnant! The boys in Nightwish have known for many weeks about it and they are all very supportive and happy." Her son was born on July 30 by C-section.
, but rather, her melodic range is typically in the soubrette soprano
range. Other fans assert that the power in her voice, in addition to the instrumentation, is what makes Nightwish
retain their Symphonic power metal style. Since her joining in 2007, Olzon's technical skill and style has continued to evolve. Prior to Nightwish
's release of the Imaginaerum album and film, Tuomas Holopainen
, they keyboardist and composer for the band, welcomed the press to Finnvox studios to preview the album. Reception was immediately much more synonymous. Critics agreed that her voice became much more refined, powerful, grandiose, and atmospheric - a typical signature of Nightwish
.
Live Albums
EPs
Singles
MCDs
Compilations
Helsingborg
Helsingborg is a city and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 97,122 inhabitants in 2010. Helsingborg is the centre of an area in the Øresund region of about 320,000 inhabitants in north-west Scania, and is Sweden's closest point to Denmark, with the Danish city...
, best known as the second lead vocalist of Finnish symphonic power metal band Nightwish
Nightwish
Nightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee, Finland. Formed in 1996 by songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former vocalist Tarja Turunen, Nightwish's current line-up has five members, although Tarja has been replaced by Anette Olzon and the...
. Olzon was formerly the vocalist in the Swedish AOR band Alyson Avenue
Alyson Avenue
Alyson Avenue is a Swedish classic rock band. The band's musical style was described as "AOR". The band has released two albums: Presence of Mind and Omega, and are currently recording a third, which will feature previous lead singer Anette Olzon....
. After her admission in Nightwish, Olzon played with several bands, in studio and live, including Brother Firetribe, Pain and The Rasmus
The Rasmus
The Rasmus are a Finnish rock band that formed in 1995 in Helsinki while the band members were still in upper comprehensive school. The original band members were Lauri Ylönen , Eero Heinonen , Pauli Rantasalmi and Janne Heiskanen...
.
In 2008, Anette recorded one track with Brother Firetribe on their second album, Heart Full of Fire, and the duet with The Rasmus
The Rasmus
The Rasmus are a Finnish rock band that formed in 1995 in Helsinki while the band members were still in upper comprehensive school. The original band members were Lauri Ylönen , Eero Heinonen , Pauli Rantasalmi and Janne Heiskanen...
, titled October & April
October & April
"October & April" is a song by the Finnish rock band The Rasmus, featuring Anette Olzon from Nightwish.The song was recorded during the same time as the other songs from the band's latest studio album Black Roses, but wasn't included as it didn't follow the album concept. Instead it was later...
, was played for the first time on October 9, 2009 on a Finnish radio and was released digitally on November 11, 2009. On August 13, Anette sang two Nightwish songs, "Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan
Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan
Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan is the third single released from the album Once by Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish. It was released on November 24, 2004, by Spinefarm Records, together with the platinum edition of Once. The single was never released outside Japan and Finland."Kuolema Tekee...
and "Meadows of Heaven", with the Stockholm Symphonic Orchestra, at the Suomi Safari, the event was in celebration of Sweden and Finland relations. During the break after Nightwish's 2009 Hartwall Arena concert, Anette has stated that she wishes to release a solo album. As of October 19, 2009, songwriting for this album has begun.
She has mentioned Carola Häggkvist
Carola Häggkvist
Carola Maria Häggkvist , better known as simply Carola, is a Swedish singer and occasional songwriter. She has been among Sweden's most popular performers since the early 1980s, and has released albums ranging from pop and disco to hymns and folk music...
, Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman is an English classical crossover soprano, actress, songwriter and dancer. She is famous for possessing a vocal range of over 3 octaves and singing in the whistle register...
, Natalie Cole
Natalie Cole
Natalie Maria Cole , is an American singer, songwriter and performer. The daughter of jazz legend Nat King Cole, Cole rode to musical success in the mid-1970s as an R&B artist with the hits "This Will Be ", "Inseparable" and "Our Love"...
and Celine Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
as being her inspirations in singing. She has said she enjoys other metal bands, such as Sonata Arctica
Sonata Arctica
Sonata Arctica are a Finnish power metal band from the town of Kemi, originally assembled in 1995. Their later works contain several elements typical of progressive metal.....
, Amorphis
Amorphis
Amorphis is a Finnish heavy metal band started by Jan Rechberger, Tomi Koivusaari, and Esa Holopainen in 1990. Initially, the band was a death metal act, but on later albums they evolved into playing other types of genres, which include heavy metal, progressive metal, and folk metal...
, Tarot
Tarot (band)
Tarot is a heavy metal band from Finland. They are most famous for the song “Wings of Darkness” from the 1986 album Spell of Iron. While having enjoyed a broad underground popularity in Finland, the band has never been very famous elsewhere until gaining new success in the recent years when their...
, Within Temptation
Within Temptation
Within Temptation is a Dutch symphonic gothic metal/rock band founded in 1996 by vocalist Sharon den Adel and guitarist Robert Westerholt. Their music is described as symphonic metal, although their earlier material, such as Enter, was gothic metal. In an interview, Den Adel said they fell into a...
and Kamelot
Kamelot
Kamelot is an American symphonic power metal band from Tampa, Florida. The band was formed by Thomas Youngblood and Richard Warner in 1991. Norwegian vocalist Roy Khan joined for the album Siége Perilous, and shared song-writing duties with Youngblood until his departure in April 2011.As of 2010,...
. She has also noted that she is a fan of The Rasmus
The Rasmus
The Rasmus are a Finnish rock band that formed in 1995 in Helsinki while the band members were still in upper comprehensive school. The original band members were Lauri Ylönen , Eero Heinonen , Pauli Rantasalmi and Janne Heiskanen...
, and was such even before she released October & April.
Anette lives with her boyfriend, and Pain bassist, Johan Husgafvel and son Seth, born July 2001. In July, 2010, she gave birth to her second son, Nemo.
Early life
Anette Olzon was raised in a musical family and has been singing since childhood. Her mother also forced Anette to play the oboeOboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
for 8 years. She toured with her mother's band and sang with them on some occasions. Later, she started to take part in various talent shows and received laudable recognition. The first band she joined at seventeen years of age (Take Cover) was a cover band. However, it was short-lived as she took part in several bands and projects. At twenty-one, she played the leading role in the rock opera/musical "Gränsland" in Helsingborg
Helsingborg
Helsingborg is a city and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 97,122 inhabitants in 2010. Helsingborg is the centre of an area in the Øresund region of about 320,000 inhabitants in north-west Scania, and is Sweden's closest point to Denmark, with the Danish city...
. After that she got in to the Balettakademien in Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
. She sang in choirs, did studio work for various projects and occasionally performed as a wedding singer. Anette Olzon also sang a duet with Michael Bormann
Michael Bormann
Michael Bormann is a German vocalist. Since the first recording he had made with a band, he has been involved with several groups as their lead vocalist, having accepted contracts to record his vocals on albums rather than being a full time member of the bands...
(ex-Jaded Heart singer) on his album "Conspiracy".
In her earlier days, Anette Olzon took singing lessons at the Copenhagen Music Conservatorie, in Helsingør, Denmark with a private teacher. Nowadays, she takes lessons from a private teacher at the Malmö Music University when needed.
With Alyson Avenue (1999–2005)
Olzon then joined Alyson AvenueAlyson Avenue
Alyson Avenue is a Swedish classic rock band. The band's musical style was described as "AOR". The band has released two albums: Presence of Mind and Omega, and are currently recording a third, which will feature previous lead singer Anette Olzon....
, at first only as a studio singer
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
, but later as their leading lady, replacing the male vocalist. The band received huge feedback for a demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
they sent out in 1999, and Alyson Avenue was soon able to contact various labels. Main composer and keyboardist
Musical keyboard
A musical keyboard is the set of adjacent depressible levers or keys on a musical instrument, particularly the piano. Keyboards typically contain keys for playing the twelve notes of the Western musical scale, with a combination of larger, longer keys and smaller, shorter keys that repeats at the...
Niclas Olsson gathered the band, recording a four track demo which resulted in a record deal with AOR Heaven.
In November 2000, debut album Presence of Mind was released to positive reviews. The next album Omega was released in 2003
2003 in music
-January:* January – following an investigation by The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and London detectives, police raids in England and the Netherlands recover nearly 500 original Beatles studio tapes, recorded during the Let It Be sessions. Five people are arrested...
. Anette left "Alyson Avenue" in 2006. In May 2009, Alyson Avenue introduced Arabella Vitanc as their new lead vocalist.
With Nightwish (2007–present)
Nightwish
Nightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee, Finland. Formed in 1996 by songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former vocalist Tarja Turunen, Nightwish's current line-up has five members, although Tarja has been replaced by Anette Olzon and the...
as their new lead singer in early 2007, chosen from about 2,000 applicants of which 10 made it to prove their place in front of the band. The song on her demo tape was the 2002 single "Ever Dream". She replaced the previous singer Tarja Turunen
Tarja Turunen
Tarja Soile Susanna Turunen Cabuli is a Finnish singer-songwriter and composer. She is a full lyric soprano and has a vocal range of three octaves....
, who was fired in an open letter
Open letter
An open letter is a letter that is intended to be read by a wide audience, or a letter intended for an individual, but that is nonetheless widely distributed intentionally....
in the autumn of 2005
2005 in music
-Events:*During the year 2005, 12 rock music albums scored number 1 in the USA. This was the first time even ten albums have scored number 1 since 1996.-January:...
. Olzon's demo was one of the first that Nightwish received, although she was originally denied the position, as band leader Tuomas Holopainen
Tuomas Holopainen
Tuomas Lauri Johannes Holopainen is a Finnish composer known best for symphonic metal music. He has also studied jazz and classical styles, but prefers to be influenced by harmonic film music....
was concerned about the fact that she had a young son. However, Olzon was persistent and sent the band a live DVD of her performing with Alyson Avenue. She was then contacted by Nightwish's manager Ewo Pohjola, which eventually led to her taking up the position in February 2007. Tuomas commented on her selection saying "we (the band) took a formal vote, but it was unanimous that she would be the one. It was a matter of heart. We felt she was right." Her identity was kept secret by various methods, including pretending to be Ewo's "Swedish cousin" at a Tarot
Tarot (band)
Tarot is a heavy metal band from Finland. They are most famous for the song “Wings of Darkness” from the 1986 album Spell of Iron. While having enjoyed a broad underground popularity in Finland, the band has never been very famous elsewhere until gaining new success in the recent years when their...
concert, until she was eventually announced as the new Nightwish singer on 24 May 2007.
The day after this revealing, May 25, 2007, charity single "Eva
Eva (song)
-Personnel:*Anette Olzon - lead vocals*Tuomas Holopainen - keyboards*Erno Vuorinen - lead guitar*Jukka Nevalainen - drums*Marco Hietala - bass...
" was released as the first off the album, as download only. It was originally scheduled for release on May 30 but this was changed due to a leak on a British music download site. This was the first published song to feature Olzon. On June 13, Nightwish released the title, Dark Passion Play
Dark Passion Play
Dark Passion Play is the sixth studio album by Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish, released on 26 September, 2007 in Finland, 28 September in Europe and 2 October 2007 in the United States. It was the first Nightwish album with the band's current lead singer, Anette Olzon, and the first album...
, and artwork to the new album on their official website, as well as the name and the cover of the second single (this time CD), "Amaranth
Amaranth (song)
-Charts performance:"Amaranth" is Nightwish's most successful single reaching number 1 in Spain, Hungary, Norway and Finland. It went straight to number one in Finland and stayed at number 1 for 3 weeks, dropping to number 2 in its fourth week on the chart. "Amaranth" then returned to the top spot...
". "Amaranth" achieved gold status in Finland after less than two days in stores.
Dark Passion Play was released around Europe in the last week of September 2007, in the UK on October 1, and the United States on October 2. It was awarded double platinum in Finland the second day after its release and took the number 1 position on the charts of Germany, Finland, Switzerland, Hungary and Croatia and got in top 100 in other 16 countries, including the United States. Dark Passion Play has sold 6x Platinum worldwide up to date (over 1.5 million copies).
On September 22, 2007, the band hosted a secret concert at Rock Café in Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
, Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, disguising itself as a Nightwish cover band
Cover band
A cover band , is a band that plays mostly or exclusively cover songs. New or unknown bands often find the cover band format marketable for smaller gigs, and these bands may be known as a wedding band, party band and function band. A band whose covers consist mainly of songs that were chart hits is...
called "Nachtwasser". Their first official concert with the new singer was in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
on October 6, 2007. The Dark Passion Play tour thus started, visiting the United States, Canada, most of Europe, Asia, and Australia.
The Dark Passion Play tour turned out to be Nightwish's longest tour yet, lasting from the fall of 2007 to September 2009, when ended with a concert in Hartwall Arena, Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
with the band Apocalyptica
Apocalyptica
Apocalyptica is a band from Helsinki, Finland, formed in 1993. The band is composed of classically trained cellists Eicca Toppinen, Paavo Lötjönen, and Perttu Kivilaakso and drummer Mikko Sirén...
. For trivia, Nightwish's only other concert in Hartwall Arena was in 2005 when they ended their Once Upon a Tour
Once Upon a Tour
-In 2004:-In 2005:-External links:*...
. This concert was filmed for the End of an Era
End of an Era
End of an Era is a DVD and double CD from Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish. Nuclear Blast recorded their live performance at the Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, Finland on October 21, 2005, the final concert of a long worldwide tour for their album Once...
DVD, and it was Tarja Turunen
Tarja Turunen
Tarja Soile Susanna Turunen Cabuli is a Finnish singer-songwriter and composer. She is a full lyric soprano and has a vocal range of three octaves....
's last show with the band.
Future solo album
Olzon's forthcoming solo album would be co-produced by Swedish producer/songwriter Anders BaggeAnders Bagge
Sven Anders Bagge is a Swedish composer, lyricist, musician and record producer and partner with Peer Åström. The two songwriters / producers are known as Bagge & Peer...
, who has previously worked with Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, Celine Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
, Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
and Jessica Simpson
Jessica Simpson
Jessica Ann Simpson is an American recording artist, actress, television personality, and fashion designer whose rise to fame began in 1999. Since that time, Simpson has achieved many recording milestones, starred in several television shows, movies, and commercials, launched a line of hair and...
, among others. He is also one of judges on the Swedish TV talent competition "Idol" and a producer of the TV series "Made in Sweden". She states that the album will "not be a metal album, but will most likely be a Rock one."
Anette stated: "This will be so great and it's so nice to have such great songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
s and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
s to help me with the songs. We work that way that we sit down by the piano and the guitar and just try melodies etc. and then I write down lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
and we try and test the structure of the song. Then Johan goes and puts drums, bass etc. in the computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
to get the music recorded for me to test-sing it. Then we work from there. It's so nice to create songs like this, I haven't done that since we started [Anette's pre-Nightwish band] Alyson Avenue, so it's been a while, but I'll soon get a hang of it again. And I really like the sound of it already!"
Many fans have expressed concern that Anette will be taking the same route as ex-Nightwish singer Tarja Turunen
Tarja Turunen
Tarja Soile Susanna Turunen Cabuli is a Finnish singer-songwriter and composer. She is a full lyric soprano and has a vocal range of three octaves....
, but she says "I still belong in Nightwish. This is just something to do before Tuomas has finished writing the next Nightwish Album. I have no desire to leave Nightwish."
Anette, on February 3, 2010, shared on her blog that she no longer would continue making a solo album. Saying, "The factors are mainly that I want to focus on my family during this break from Nightwish. I am sure I will do a solo some other time, but at this time it doesn't fit into my life and then it's better to not do it, than to do it and it just wont feel good.".
On March 3, 2010, Olzon made an announcement on her blog that the reason the solo album had been postponed was because she was pregnant with her second child. "Last autumn in the middle of demo recordings for my solo album, I started to feel very tired and nauseated. I took a pregnancy test and was really surprised to see that I had gotten pregnant! The boys in Nightwish have known for many weeks about it and they are all very supportive and happy." Her son was born on July 30 by C-section.
Singing style and reception as the Nightwish frontwoman
Anette does not possess the same operatic voice as Tarja TurunenTarja Turunen
Tarja Soile Susanna Turunen Cabuli is a Finnish singer-songwriter and composer. She is a full lyric soprano and has a vocal range of three octaves....
, but rather, her melodic range is typically in the soubrette soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
range. Other fans assert that the power in her voice, in addition to the instrumentation, is what makes Nightwish
Nightwish
Nightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee, Finland. Formed in 1996 by songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former vocalist Tarja Turunen, Nightwish's current line-up has five members, although Tarja has been replaced by Anette Olzon and the...
retain their Symphonic power metal style. Since her joining in 2007, Olzon's technical skill and style has continued to evolve. Prior to Nightwish
Nightwish
Nightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee, Finland. Formed in 1996 by songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former vocalist Tarja Turunen, Nightwish's current line-up has five members, although Tarja has been replaced by Anette Olzon and the...
's release of the Imaginaerum album and film, Tuomas Holopainen
Tuomas Holopainen
Tuomas Lauri Johannes Holopainen is a Finnish composer known best for symphonic metal music. He has also studied jazz and classical styles, but prefers to be influenced by harmonic film music....
, they keyboardist and composer for the band, welcomed the press to Finnvox studios to preview the album. Reception was immediately much more synonymous. Critics agreed that her voice became much more refined, powerful, grandiose, and atmospheric - a typical signature of Nightwish
Nightwish
Nightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee, Finland. Formed in 1996 by songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former vocalist Tarja Turunen, Nightwish's current line-up has five members, although Tarja has been replaced by Anette Olzon and the...
.
With Nightwish
Studio albums- Dark Passion PlayDark Passion PlayDark Passion Play is the sixth studio album by Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish, released on 26 September, 2007 in Finland, 28 September in Europe and 2 October 2007 in the United States. It was the first Nightwish album with the band's current lead singer, Anette Olzon, and the first album...
(2007) - Imaginaerum (2011)
Live Albums
- Made in Hong Kong (And in Various Other Places)Made in Hong Kong (And in Various Other Places)-DVD:# Bye Bye Beautiful # Amaranth # The Islander # Back in the Day... Is Now-Choice of tracklist:...
(2009)
EPs
- Made in Hong Kong (And in Various Other Places)Made in Hong Kong (And in Various Other Places)-DVD:# Bye Bye Beautiful # Amaranth # The Islander # Back in the Day... Is Now-Choice of tracklist:...
(2009)
Singles
- "EvaEva (song)-Personnel:*Anette Olzon - lead vocals*Tuomas Holopainen - keyboards*Erno Vuorinen - lead guitar*Jukka Nevalainen - drums*Marco Hietala - bass...
" (2007) - "AmaranthAmaranth (song)-Charts performance:"Amaranth" is Nightwish's most successful single reaching number 1 in Spain, Hungary, Norway and Finland. It went straight to number one in Finland and stayed at number 1 for 3 weeks, dropping to number 2 in its fourth week on the chart. "Amaranth" then returned to the top spot...
" (2007) - "Bye Bye BeautifulBye Bye Beautiful-Charts performance:In the UK, "Bye Bye Beautiful" entered the UK Rock Singles Chart at number two, behind Nickelback's "Rockstar". After the European release, "Bye Bye Beautiful" reached its highest position in a national singles chart, in Spain, reaching number 4, slightly lower than Nightwish's...
" (2008) - "The IslanderThe Islander (song)-Chart performance:"The Islander" went straight to #1 in Finland on the first day of its release. Recently, Nightwish have had major success in Spain and "The Islander" reached #5 in the Spanish Singles Chart, continuing a run of Top 5 singles from Dark Passion Play.-Personnel:*Marco Hietala – Male...
" (2008) - "Storytime" (2011)
MCDs
- Made in Hong Kong (And in Various Other Places)Made in Hong Kong (And in Various Other Places)-DVD:# Bye Bye Beautiful # Amaranth # The Islander # Back in the Day... Is Now-Choice of tracklist:...
(2009)
With Alyson Avenue
Studio albums- Presence of Mind (2000)
- Omega (2004)
Compilations
- Munich's Hardest Hits
- Melodic Rock
- Fireworks Magazine
- Total Frontfork
Guest appearances
- 20062006 in musicThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2006.-January:*January 10 – Eric Burdon releases his album Soul of a Man and begins touring with a new band....
: Two Of A Kind (Michael BormannMichael BormannMichael Bormann is a German vocalist. Since the first recording he had made with a band, he has been involved with several groups as their lead vocalist, having accepted contracts to record his vocals on albums rather than being a full time member of the bands...
) - 20062006 in musicThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2006.-January:*January 10 – Eric Burdon releases his album Soul of a Man and begins touring with a new band....
: Will We Remain (CloudscapeCloudscape (band)Cloudscape is a progressive metal band from Helsingborg, Sweden. Since formation the band have gone on to play at renowned festivals such as ProgPower Europe in 2005, Sweden Rock Festival in 2006, ProgPower UK in 2007, and Bloodstock Open Air in 2008...
) - 20082008 in music2008 was a huge year in music history with the emergence of pop superstars Lady Gaga and Katy Perry into the mainstream. Also, this is the year that is widely agreed upon by critics as the start of the fall of hip hop from the mainstream and the rise of Synthpop into the mainstream due to acts such...
: Heart Full of Fire (Brother Firetribe) - 20082008 in music2008 was a huge year in music history with the emergence of pop superstars Lady Gaga and Katy Perry into the mainstream. Also, this is the year that is widely agreed upon by critics as the start of the fall of hip hop from the mainstream and the rise of Synthpop into the mainstream due to acts such...
: Follow Me, Feed Us (PainPain (Swedish band)Pain is a musical project from Sweden that mix Metal with influences from Electronic metal and Techno. The project started out as a hobby project for front man Peter Tägtgren, whose idea was to fuse metal with 1980's-inspired electro-industrial and techno influences...
) - 20092009 in musicThe following is a list of notable events and releases in 2009 in music. Susan Boyle's album I Dreamed a Dream became the biggest selling album in the world for 2009, selling 8.3 million copies in five weeks; more than any other artist's in the whole year...
: October & AprilOctober & April"October & April" is a song by the Finnish rock band The Rasmus, featuring Anette Olzon from Nightwish.The song was recorded during the same time as the other songs from the band's latest studio album Black Roses, but wasn't included as it didn't follow the album concept. Instead it was later...
(The RasmusThe RasmusThe Rasmus are a Finnish rock band that formed in 1995 in Helsinki while the band members were still in upper comprehensive school. The original band members were Lauri Ylönen , Eero Heinonen , Pauli Rantasalmi and Janne Heiskanen...
) - 20102010 in music2010 in music may refer to:*2010 in American music*2010 in Australian music*2010 in British music*2010 in Canadian music*2010 in European music *2010 in Irish music*2010 in Japanese music*2010 in New Zealand music...
: Open Your Eyes (Sweden United) - 2011: Changes (Alyson AvenueAlyson AvenueAlyson Avenue is a Swedish classic rock band. The band's musical style was described as "AOR". The band has released two albums: Presence of Mind and Omega, and are currently recording a third, which will feature previous lead singer Anette Olzon....
) (Background vocals on ”Liar”, ”Into The Fire”, ”Always Keep On Loving You”, ”Fallen”) - 20122012 in music2012 in music may refer to:*2012 in African music*2012 in American music*2012 in Australian music*2012 in British music*2012 in Canadian music*2012 in European music *2012 in Irish music*2012 in Japanese music...
: Cathedral Walls (Swallow the SunSwallow the SunSwallow the Sun is a Finnish melodic death / doom metal band.- Biography :Swallow the Sun was formed in early 2000 by Juha Raivio, joined soon by Pasi Pasanen came along . They rehearsed a couple of songs, one of them being "Through Her Silvery Body" which would end up on their first demo,Out of...
)